B20 Panel at WTO Public Forum with B20 Chair Dr. Heraeus

Despite important success stories of the WTO in recent years (e.g. agreements on trade facilitation and information technology), rule making and market opening by the multilateral process is lagging behind the pace set by regional trade agreements (RTAs). RTAs, however, are especially designed to create economic benefits for those countries involved, not for the WTO membership as a whole. The group of the 20 largest economies of the world (G20) could become a driving force to make the rising number of RTAs more inclusive and beneficial for all. Among others, this high-level panel will examine the following questions: What are the elements of RTAs that make them most inclusive and relevant for today’s world trade? What can the WTO process learn from the experience with RTAs and which rules on RTAs should be set and enforced multilaterally?

Speakers

• Yonov Agah, Deputy Director General, World Trade Organization
• Thomas Cottier, Emeritus Professor of Law, Senior Research Fellow, World Trade Institute, University of Bern / Adjunct Professor, University of Ottawa
• H.E. Marcelo Cima, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the Argentine Republic to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva
• Jürgen Heraeus, B20 Chair Germany / Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Heraeus Holding
• Lynette Magasa, CEO and founder, Boniswa Corporate Solutions, South Africa
• Jeffrey J. Schott, Professor, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington

Have a look as well at the "Trade Dialogue: Business Ideas on Inclusive Trade" with B20 Germany Sherpa, Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner.

More Information: WTO Public Forum 2016